LG N2R1DD2 2TB Super Multi NAS with DVD Rewriter

Model: LG N2R1DD2 2TB Super Multi NAS with DVD Rewriter
Manufacturer: LG Electronics
Provided By: LG Electronics USA

LG Electronics has been a leader in the industry for nearly 50 years. Since the introduction of their first radio in 1959, the company has grown to become one of the world's top electronics manufacturers, offering everything from large home appliances to tiny mobile phones. LG is no stranger to the storage industry either. Working closely with companies like Hitachi, they've lead the way in this area, developing and manufacturing a wide range of optical storage products, including the industry's first "Super-Multi" drives.

Earlier this year, LG introduced its first networked attached storage device, the N4B1. Along with support for multiple RAID configurations, this four-bay NAS offered features like built in FTP, print and iTunes music servers as well as the ability to automatically download data from memory cards and USB storage devices. What really made the N4B1 stand out though was its built-in Blu-ray rewriter. This drive not only served as a secondary storage medium, it made it possible to share a BD, DVD or CD among many users by creating a virtual disc library.

This fall, LG unveiled a pair of two-bay NAS devices, the N2R1 and N2B1. These consumer-oriented storage systems offer many of the same features found on the N4B1 including support for various RAID levels, one touch USB/memory card backup and the ability to burn your data to DVD or, in the case of the N2B1, Blu-ray Disc. The N2R1 and N2B1 also include a number of new features like support for Apple's Time Machine, folder-based mirroring, DLNA media streaming, torrent file sharing and the ability to burn discs and play movies over the network using iSCSI.

For this review, LG sent us the N2R1DD2. While lacking the Blu-ray rewriter found on the N2B1, it came equipped with a pair of 1TB hard drives.

Needless to say, this is only a taste of what LG's Super-Multi NAS has to offer. To give you an idea of what to expect, we'll take an in-depth look at the N2R1DD2's features and then put it through its paces to see how it performs. Does LG's new NAS have what it takes? Keep reading as we find out.

The N2R1DD2 comes in a box about half the size of the one that the N4B1 ships in. The front, back and sides of the box show the NAS from various angles and list many of its features.

Sitting on top of the N2R1DD2 is a small box which contains the accessories. Along with a quick start guide, you get an AC power cord and adapter, ethernet cable, warranty information card and a CD containing the LG NAS PC Software.

The N2R1DD2 measures 165 x 162 x 230mm (6.5 x 6.4 x 9.1 in) and weighs in at 4.2 kg (9.26lbs) without any hard drives. While this is a bit large for a two bay NAS, the built in DVD writer accounts for much of this extra space. Along the top of the unit, you can see an LCD panel and a series of buttons (Power, Set, Left Arrow and Right Arrow). The panel shows the current state of the N2R1DD2 and can be used with the buttons to set up the system and control a number of its functions.

On top of the N2R1DD2 there is a pop-up panel with a built-in 4-in-1 memory card reader and a USB port where you can plug in a digital camera, flash drive or external hard drive.

The two hard drive bays are located behind the N2R1DD2's front cover. Before you can remove a drive from the unit, you need to unlock the disk rack by pushing the lock button upward. From there, simply squeeze together the two levers and pull the rack from the system. Like the N4B1's rack system, this one is very smooth and it takes very little effort to insert and remove the drives.

Along the right hand side, the N2R1DD2 has a series of LED's. These LED's are used to show memory access as well as the current state of the DVD writer and hard drives. If one or more of them light up red, there is a problem. Otherwise, they will light up blue if everything is operating normally.

The rear of the N2R1DD2 is pretty straight forward. Along with the DC power connection, there is an 80mm fan. This fan is temperature controlled and only spins as fast as needed to keep the system cool. Right above the fan there is an ethernet port, eSATA port and two more USB ports.

The N2R1DD2 can be purchased with or without hard drives. If you bought a unit without any drives, you'll need to install at least one before the unit is powered on. Simply insert the drives into the racks and screw them into place. When this is done, slide the racks back into their corresponding slot on the unit.

The N2R1DD2 has 1024Mbits (128MB) of built in flash memory where the system software is stored. With the system software already on the NAS, you just need to power it on and put it into "enclosure mode" by holding down both of the arrow buttons.

The N2R1DD2 will run through a series of installation tasks and then automatically reboot. After another 60 seconds or so, a sound will indicate the completion of system set up.

Once the N2R1DD2 is up and running, its network connection will need to be configured. If you have a DHCP server on your network and you know what IP the NAS is using, you can skip the next few steps and connect directly to the web menu. Otherwise, you'll need to pop the “LG Network Storage PC Software Installer” CD into your computer and install the NAS Detector software.

The NAS Detector software searches the network looking for LG NAS devices. When it finds one, it will display its IP address, MAC address and host name. Using the NAS Detector software, you can also change the network information, open the web menu or access the network folder.

If you don't have a DHCP server on your network or a Windows PC or Mac capable of running the NAS Detector software, you can configure the N2R1DD2's network connection using the LCD panel and front buttons. From here you can choose whether or not to use DHCP and, if need be, manually enter the IP and network information.

With the network interface configured, you access the web menu by entering the N2R1DD2's IP address into your web browser's address bar. Initially, you will need to login using the default administrator account. The user ID is ‘admin’ and the initial password is ‘admin’.

The web menu lets you view information about the system and change its settings. It also offers share and service management as well as menus to backup data to and from optical discs and mobile devices.

First, we'll take a look at the System Settings. This menu lets you configure things like the N2R1DD2's network connection, RAID volume and power settings. You can also setup mail notifications and update the firmware of the system and DVD drive.

Network:

The network settings are pretty straight forward. From here, you can designate a custom host name and description as well as change the IP address properties. The N2R1DD2 can also be integrated into an Active Directory environment, allowing you to import existing user information.

The network interface menu also lets you set the Ethernet frame size. Along with the default 1500 bytes, you can choose jumbo frames ranging in size from 4000 to 9000 bytes.

Remote Access:

Using Dynamic DNS (DDNS), you can connect to the LG N2R1DD2 by its domain name in environments where the IP may change over time. The service monitors the IP address and maps it to a domain name in real time.

Instead of using a well known service like DynDNS.com, LG has implemented their own. To use this service, enable it through the web menu and provide a domain name and password.

As you can see, the N2R1DD2 also supports UPnP port fowarding. When enabled, the NAS will talk to your router and automatically configure it so that its services can be accessed from outside your network.

Time:

The first time you set up the N2R1DD2, you will need to set the time, date and local time zone. You can also specify an NTP server so that the time is automatically synchronized at set intervals.

Mail Notification:

If you don't want to login to the web menu to check the status of the N2R1DD2, you can have it send you a periodic status report. To set this up, enter the SMTP server address, SMTP authentication information and the recipient's email address.

Volume:

The Volume menu lets you view the status, RAID level and capacity of the storage volumes on the N2R1DD2. The two hard drives can be configured to use RAID 0 (striping), RAID 1 (mirroring), JBOD (linear) and RAID 1 + JBOD, or they can be used as individual disks.

There really isn't much to configure when using RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD. Selecting RAID 1 + JBOD will activate a slide bar where you can adjust the size of each volume.

Selective Mirror:

The Selective Mirror function automatically generates copies of certain folders, which allows data recovery even after the loss of source data. If SMB (Samba) or FTP is used to store data on the N2R1DD2 and a change incurs in the source folder, the same change will be applied to the destination folder.

When adding a new mirror, you will need to select the source folder that will be backed up as well as the destination folder where the back-up data will be saved. To maximize the effects of Selective Mirror, LG recommends that the source and destination folders be located on different volumes. For this, the N2R1DD2 will need to be configured as individual disks or RAID 1 + JBOD.

Power:

When the volumes on the N2R1DD2 have not been accessed for a given amount of time, the hard disks will enter standby mode to minimize power consumption. To save even more power, the NAS can also be put into a hibernation mode which shuts down all of its services. The standby and hibernation modes can be adjusted or disabled altogether through the Power menu.

The N2R1DD2 can also communicate directly with an APC style USB UPS and power itself down in the event of a power failure.

Last but not least, the N2R1DD2 can be restarted and shutdown remotely through the Power menu.

Firmware:

Firmware for the N2R1DD2 and its optical disc drive can be downloaded from LG's website and updated through the web menu. Before doing so, it is highly recommended that you backup your current configuration.

If the firmware upgrade goes wrong or you want to start totally over, the N2R1DD2 can be restored back to its factory settings. Take note that this will delete all of the data stored on the volumes.

Once you have the N2R1DD2 configured, you'll need to setup the shares and create some users and groups. To manage your user accounts, click on the User option under the Share Settings menu. From here you can view and edit your existing user accounts as well as create new ones.

To create a new user, you'll need to enter a unique user ID and password. To make it easier to manage accounts, you can also enter the user's full name and email address as well as a short description.

The Group option is pretty straightforward. From here, you can create and delete groups as well as add and remove users.

My only real complaint with the N2R1DD2's user and group management tools is that you cannot give administrator rights to users. If you want to change any settings or create additional new user accounts, you need to login with the default admin account.

By default, the N2R1DD2 has a number of shared folders for things like its DVD drive, services and data backups. You can also create your own using the Share option in the Share Settings menu.

Clicking on the Share option will bring up the screen shown below. From here, you can create and delete folders as well as change their attributes and authorization settings.

To create a new folder, you will need to specify a name, select the volume where it will be created and select the protocols (SMB, AFP, FTP and WebDav) it supports. You can also choose to hide the folder from the network search and create a recycle bin for deleted files.

The last thing you need to do is specify which users and groups can read and write to the folder. These restrictions can also be disabled, giving full access to all users.

The N2R1DD2's sharing capabilities aren't limited to the local RAID volumes. External hard drives attached to its USB and eSATA ports are automatically shared. The only problem here is that user/group permissions are not applied. Instead, everyone on the network can read and write to these shares, which could be a huge security risk in some situations.

The N2R1DD2 offers support for a number of services, including FTP and AFP servers, network printing, iTunes music streaming, DLNA and torrent file sharing.

FTP and AFP:

Like most NAS devices, the N2R1DD2 features a built-in FTP server. Using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), you can download or upload files from a remote location. To use the FTP service, enable it through the web menu and specify the port it should listen on. If you haven't already, you will also need to go in and give users permission to access folders via FTP.

The N2R1DD2 also features support for the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP). Unless you have older Macs running Mac OS 9 or earlier, you're better off using Windows File Sharing (SMB/CIFS).

Network Printer:

The N2R1DD2 can also function as a network print server that can be used by both Macs and PCs on the network. To do this, you will need to plug a printer into one of the USB ports and enable the service through the web menu.

iTunes Music Server:

DLNA Media Server:

While the N2R1DD2's iTunes server can stream music, its DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) media server allows you to share other digital content, such as photographs and movies, with devices on your network. To use the DLNA service, enable it on the N2R1DD2 and select a folder where the multimedia files are stored.

While its not clear whether or not the N2R1DD2 is DLNA-certified, LG does state that the device is compliant with the standard for a Digital Media Server (DMS). To see how well this service worked, I tried watching a few movies through Windows Media Player as well as my PS3. The N2R1DD2 worked flawlessly with the PS3 and Windows Media Player in Windows 7. However, driver issues prevented it from working with Windows Vista.

Torrent:

Last but not least, the N2R1DD2 features a built in Torrent download service. To access the Torrent program administration window, click on the Torrent icon on the top of the web menu. From here you can manage your downloads or start a new one by uploading a Torrent file or entering an URL to one. When the download is complete, the file is automatically placed in the Torrent folder located within the service share.

As I mentioned earlier, the N2R1DD2 can be used to backup USB devices and memory cards. If you'd like to make a quick backup, you can use the buttons on the front of the device. To begin, connect the USB device or memory card to the NAS. After a few seconds the following message will pop up.

To begin the backup process, simply press the Set (S) button. All files will be copied over to the NAS and saved in a folder within the default USB backup location (service/back-up/USB).

You can also backup your USB devices with the N2R1DD2 using the USB Backup option under the Mobile Devices menu. If your USB device or memory card is already connected to the NAS, it will show up in the list of devices. Select the one you want to backup and click on the "Create" button.

For the second step, you will need to enter a name and description and specify a destination if you want to store your backup somewhere other than the default location. You can also choose to have the N2R1DD2 automatically sync your USB device every time it is connected. Lastly, you'll need to select a backup method (Incremental or Full).

Unfortunately, the N2R1DD2 does not include a function to transfer data between e-SATA devices, USB devices, memory cards and the NAS. This was a useful feature on the N4B1 and I'm disappointed to see that LG did not include it here as well.

The N2R1DD2's most unique feature is its built-in DVD writer. Using this drive, you can copy content from discs and backup data stored on the NAS.

Looking at the screenshot above, you can see that the drive in the N2R1DD2 is LG's 16x Super Multi drive, the GH50N.

To begin backing up a CD or DVD, insert the disc into the drive. The N2R1DD2 will automatically read the disc and display the type on the front of the LCD.

Once the disc is recognized, press the arrow keys until the ODD backup mode appears on the LCD. From here you can choose to copy the contents of a data disc onto the NAS or create an image file.

While the N2R1DD2 cannot burn disc images like the N4B1, you can backup individual files and folders to CD and DVD through the web interface. To do so, click on the Burning option located under the DVD menu. The NAS folders are displayed on the left window and folder structure of the disc compilation on the right. Selected files and folders can be added and removed using the arrow and trash can buttons.

The N2R1DD2D's DVD writer can also be shared with other computers on the network using iSCSI. This way, computers that may not have an optical drive now have the ability to burn discs and play movies.

To use iSCSI, you will need to enable the service through the web interface. If you want to use CHAP authentication, you'll also need to provide two 12 character "secrets" for the target and initiator.

Next, you will need to configure the iSCSI initiator on your client computer by entering the IP or DNS name of the NAS as well as the target and initiator secrets. If everything checks out, the DVD writer will show up under the list of targets.

When connected, the DVD writer shows up in Device Manager just like any other optical drive. Looking at the InfoTool screenshot, you can see that all of its features and write modes are recognized correctly.

One downside of using the DVD writer is performance. I ran a few simple DVD read and write tests and found that the speed was limited to about 6x (8MB/s). At this point, I'm not sure if this is an issue with the N2R1DD2D or Microsoft's iSCSI initiator.

The test system used in this review was an HP dc7900. The computer came equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz CPU, 2GB of DDR2 800MHz memory, Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB SATA hard drive, NVIDIA Quadro FX570 256MB PCIe graphics card and Intel 82567LM-3 gigabit network card. For the operating system, I installed a fresh copy of Windows XP with Service Pack 3.

To test the performance of the LG N2R1DD2, I ran a series of benchmarks using CrystalDiskMark 2.2, ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.34 and Iometer. The tests were first run with the provided Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 7K1000.B hard drives configured as RAID 0 and RAID 1 volumes and then again with them as two individual disks. To eliminate any network bottlenecks, the N2R1DD2 was connected directly to the computer using a CAT6 ethernet cable. Unless otherwise specified, jumbo frames have been disabled.

CrystalDiskMark 2.2:

First, I ran a few quick tests using CrystalDiskMark. This benchmark tool measures the performance of a storage device by testing its sequential read and write speeds as well as its random read and write speeds using blocks 4KB and 512KB in size. The test was first run using a 100MB file and then a 500MB file.

RAID 0 - 100MB

RAID 0 - 500MB

RAID 1 - 100MB

RAID 1 - 500MB

Individual Disk - 100MB

Individual Disk - 500MB

According to LG, the N2R1DD2 is able to read at 46MB/s and write at 23MB/s. Looking at the screenshots above, you can see that in most cases the unit had no problems reaching these speeds when doing sequential reads and writes with both 100MB and 500MB files.

ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.34:

I also used ATTO Disk Benchmark to test the N2R1DD2's sequential read and write speeds. The tests are run using blocks ranging in size from 0.5KB to 8192KB and the total length set to 32MB and 256MB.

RAID 0 - 32MB

RAID 0 - 256MB

RAID 1 - 32MB

RAID 1 - 256MB

Individual Disk - 32MB

Individual Disk- 256MB

With the total length set to 32MB, there was very little performance difference between RAID 0, RAID1 and the individual disks. In all three cases, the read and write speeds topped out at about 100MB/s and 37MB/s, respectively. It wasn't until I set the total length to 256MB that RAID 0 showed any real performance advantage.  Even then, this was limited primarily to reading blocks 16k and larger.

Iometer:

Lastly, I ran a series of tests using Iometer. This tool can be configured to benchmark a number of things. In this case, I used it to measure the N2R1DD2's sequential read and write speeds using blocks ranging from 512B to 1MB in size. To make things more interesting, I ran the tests a second time with jumbo frames enabled on the NAS and the test computer.

With jumbo frames disabled, the N2R1DD2's performance was very close when configured for RAID 0 and RAID 1 as well as with two individual disks. It wasn't until I enabled jumbo frames that things got interesting. As you can see, this boosted the unit's writing speeds by as much as 12MB/s.

Surprisingly, jumbo frames had a negative effect on the N2R1DD2's read speed. According to LG, this is due to the unit's Marvell 88F6192 SoC device. With packets larger than 1500bytes, the 88F6192 is not able to do a hardware checksum. Instead, the N2R1DD2 is forced to do a software checksum, adding additional latency and slowing the read speed down to about 20MB/s.

While LG is a relative newcomer to the NAS market, their engineers have definitely done their homework. The N2R1DD2 is well designed and constructed, featuring two hot-swappable drive bays and a RAID system that can be configured to protect your data or use the full capacity of the hard drives. The NAS also features a built-in DVD writer, which serves as a secondary storage medium as well as a way for computers on the network to burn discs and play movies. To top it all off, LG has included a number of consumer oriented features including USB/memory card backup, Apple Time Machine support, Torrent file sharing and a built in DLNA media server.

That being said, there were a few things that LG could have done better. The N2R1DD2's USB/memory card and ODD functions were not nearly as robust as those found on the N4B1. There's also no way to transfer data from the NAS to storage devices, which severely limits the usefulness of the eSATA port. The only thing it is used for is to share an external hard drive and even then, I'd hesitate to do this as there are no security restrictions. Lastly, the N2R1DD2's iSCSI service is limited to the optical drive. I'm not sure why LG decided to do this, but it would be nice to be able to create a few virtual hard disks as well.

Compared to LG's Blu-ray equipped NAS devices, the N2R1 is very affordable. If you want to use your own hard drives, the N2R1D can be picked up for as little as $220. Otherwise, prices for the 1TB N2R1DD1 and 2TB N2R1DD2 start at about $262 and $320, respectively.

Highs:

• Built-in DVD rewriter
• Two hot-swap drive bays
• RAID 0, 1, JBOD, 1 + JBOD and Individual disk configurations
• One touch DVD/CD backup
• One touch and automatic USB/memory card backup
• Built-in backup, FTP and print servers
• iTunes music and DLNA media servers
• WebDAV file management
• Apple Time Machine support
• Active Directory support
• Torrent file sharing
• Remote access to DVD rewriter through iSCSI
• Three USB 2.0 ports and one eSATA port
• Gigabit Ethernet NIC
• Built-in memory card reader  
• Easy to use web interface
• Compatible with Windows, Mac OS X and Linux clients
• Good looking and well constructed design
• LCD display
• Quiet operation

Lows:

• Slow read speeds when jumbo frames are enabled
• Cannot schedule backups to ODD or external hard drives
• Cannot transfer data from the NAS to storage devices
• USB and eSATA devices are automatically shared with the world
• iSCSI support limited to the DVD rewriter
• Administrator rights limited to default admin account